In Search of Rosé - Domaine Couly Dutheil Rosé

In continuing on my search for a good Rosé I purchased this 2009 Domaine Couly Dutheil Rosé from Arlington Wines & Liquor.  It was on sale at $17.09, but regular price is $18.99.  Strange price, right.  This wine is from the central Loire Valley in France, region of Touraine, appellation of Chinon. Interesting fact that Rosé de Loire must use at least 30% of either Cabernet Franc or Cabernet Sauvignon.

This wine is a Rosé of Cabernet Franc.  I thought this should be good, I love Cabernet Franc. On the bouquet I found sweet aromas of red berries, and tart cranberry.  As the wine warmed up the aromas turn to red berry punch.

On the palate I got red berries, cranberry and a little minerally with a dry finish.  Nothing is strikingly jumping out at me.  It's very monolithic.

Continuing my search............

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today's my moms birthday and no I won't tell you how old she is.  I know she reads my blog, so a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her!  

Mom prefers Pinot Grigio and that will be my next in search of after I find a  Rosé that I like. I am not keen on the varietal, but mom is.   For MOM, this Pinot Grigio review is for you. 


I stopped on the way home yesterday from picking up my CSA at Valley Wine's and Spirits in Pleasant Valley.  It's a nice boutique liquor store and I really liked Ned and Lee who I believe are the owners.  Lucky for them they are right next door to where I get my haircut.  Lee suggested a few California Pinot Grigio's but I wanted something different, not from a large CA producer.  Lee told me he likes this due Torri 2010 Pinot Grigio, Delle Venezie, so a purchase was made at $9.99 and brought home to chill.


In the glass the wine had a nice straw color.  The bouquet was fruity to begin with, but as it opened up and warmed up the fruit becomes distant with a slight mineral nose.  


As I sat on the deck drinking this wine while the sun was setting, I found it had a soft mineral, wet stone palate. I didn't get much fruit.  There was a hint of citrus on the finish, more like lemon rind.  


Did I like the wine?  It was okay. Since I don't drink much of this varietal, I wasn't sure what to expect.  I do know that I will begin to seek out Pinot Grigio from other areas of the world to try and compare.  I just might come across one that I like.


In any event, Happy Birthday MOM!

RARE VERTICAL TASTING WEEKENDS AT WHITECLIFF VINEYARD

The owners of Whitecliff Vineyard have dug down into their private library of wines that are no longer available for sale in order to offer a vertical tasting over the next two weekends. A “vertical tasting” is wine jargon for a side by side tasting of different vintages of the same wine. It provides a sometimes eye opening glimpse of what aspects of the wine are unique to the grape, and what aspects are shaped by the weather in a given year. It’s a stimulating learning experience that teaches people to pay careful attention to subtle differences. 

They have been inspired to offer vertical tastings to compare 2009 with 2010 because they were such different years in the vineyard—the former cold and wet (remember the ruined tomato crop?), the later particularly hot and dry. Typically, hot, dry weather promotes high sugar, low acidity, and riper fruit flavors in the grapes, and cold, damp weather promotes higher acidity. While most people will likely think “Yum” in response to the first, and NOT to the second, acidity is in fact a key component of great wine. One of the interesting aspects of this tasting will be the opportunity to sample Whitecliff’s 2009 Riesling (a fairly high acid wine), which beat 1300 wines from 27 countries and 28 states to win a Double Gold Medal and Best White Wine in Show at the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition.

Whitecliff’s Vertical Tasting Weekends will be the July 4^th weekend, July 2^nd through Monday the 4^th, as long as our 2009 supplies last. Visitors will sample 3 of their current 2010 wines—Reserve Chardonnay, Gamay Noir and Riesling—along with the same wines from the previous 2009 vintage. 

Vertical tastings will be available all of each weekend, for either $8.50 a person, or $6.50 with a purchase of wine. Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery is located at 331 McKinstry Road in Gardiner, New York.

Wines of Northern Italy

Millbrook Vineyards & Winery is hosting a summer wine education series.  It began June 4th with Northern Italian wines, and Salvatore Galati of Winebow officiated. 

We began with a Zardetto Prosecco DOC, NV from Veneto.  I liked this bubbly made in the Charmat method!  Had flavors of peach and apricot.

Next was a 2009 Tramin Sauvignon Blanc from the Alto Adige region.  I was very disappointed in this wine.  Everything about it was mint.  Mint nose, mint taste.

Millbrook's 2010 Tocai Friulano was the third wine of the evening. This wine fit right in on the theme since Tocai is an italian varietal.  Crisp and aromatic nose of anju pear with spice on the finish. 

We moved onto the three reds of the evening beginning with a 2008 Zenato Valpollicella DOC.  The main grape in this wine is Corvina with some Rondinella.  Fresh cherries and smoke fill the bouquet with a palate of cherries. Contrary to what you think, this was done in steel, no oak.

Wine #5 2007 Allegrini Palazzo Della Torre IGT Veronese - Veneto.  This is a red table wine made with 30% of the grapes processed like Amarone, meaning 30% of the Corvina grapes were dried until January then processed and blended with the rest of the wine.  This wine had a musty nose with dried cherries, vanilla and currants.  On the palate it showed berries and anise with a bitter mid plate.  This was a hot wine, meaning high alcohol content.

Wine #6 was a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot - 2008 Maculan Brentino IGT - Veneto.  A nose of baked cherry, prune and oak gives way to a fruit forward palate of dark fruit and plum. 

Dessert - Wine #7 2009 Maculan Dindarello IGT - Veneto.  I really enjoyed this wine made from moscato grapes. It wasn't overly sweet and had a wonderful balance and great mouth feel.  A bouquet of sweet apricot and orange leads into a palate of apricot with a honey finish.

The next wine education at Millbrook is July 16 and the area of study is Burgundy.  My guess is it will be a tasting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Of course there will be one of each from Millbrook.

The Other Wines in the House

Chappellet 2009 Napa Valley Unfiltered Chardonnay.  I have to admit, we are big fans of Chappellet.  We joined their wine club many years ago after a visit to the winery. 

This Chardonnay has a nose of oak and butter.  On the palate I get strong buttered popcorn, honeydew melon with a slightly bitter finish.

This ACVS 2007 Chardonnay was the disappointment for the week.  Not sure where we purchased this from.  It's produced from grapes from the Arroyo Grande Valley's Talley Vineyard.  There were 335 cases of this Chardonnay produced by Miura Vineyards. 

The nose seemed a little off but when we took a sip, we knew.  It had that almond taste with a tiny hint of butter on the finish.  It had begun to turn.  Not to worry, no wine goes to waste in this house.  We cooked with it.

In Search of Rosé

I picked up this 2010 Maipe Rosé of Malbec at the Grand Tasting at Arlington Liquors for $9.99.  This comes from the Mendoza, Argentina and is produced from grapes gown at the foothills of the Andes at an altitude of 3000 feet above sea level. 

At first the color reminds me of slow gin, and looks kind of sweet, but it's a nice dry Rosé.  On the nose I find a little fruit and earth but not much.  The fruit aroma is that of cranberry and strawberry jello. 

On the palate I find strawberry, red fruit with a little hint of lime.  It's not overly fruity.  Has a lingering finish.

Not wowed yet....Still in search of......

Wine & History

 

A perfect weekend for wine and history is a stay at the Thayer Hotel at West Point.  This historic hotel is located on the grounds of the US Military Academy at West Point with breathtaking views of the region.  They are offering a Sip and Stay Package to introduce you to the history of West Point and a little wine tasting afterward.  

Your stay will begin in the Thayer Hotel's Zulu Time Rooftop Lounge with amazing views of the valley while you sip a complimentary glass of wine.  Then wake up the next morning and have a nice breakfast in MacArthur's Riverview Restaurant.  After breakfast you will begin your guided tour of West Point.  

While I never had a guided tour of West Point, I will tell you the history and architecture are amazing.  I spent many years at West Point during football season as a teenager exploring the grounds on my own.  Fort Putnam was one of my favorite places to hike for the day.  Unfortunately I never made it the museum, but will have to do that soon.  

After your tour of West Point you will be taken to Palaia Vineyards to end your day wine tasting and enjoy a  complimentary cheese plate.

The Sip and Stay package begins at $239 midweek and $259 weekend.  For more information on the package click here.

One important note: When staying at Thayer Hotel you must bring proper government issued identification for everyone in your party.  You have to enter the grounds of West Point and go through security check to reach the hotel.

Robibero Merlot

This 2007 Robibero Merlot was made with 100% New York Grapes. Robibero Family Vineyards is located in New Paltz, New York and just celebrated their first anniversary. 

On the nose was blackberry, sage and mint followed by a palate of blackberry and plum.

It complimented our steak dinner very nicely.

The Other Wines in the House

We found a good one in the cellar this week.  A Norman Vineyards 2002 Paso Robles Merlot.  We purchased this wine when we were in Paso a few years back.  This Merlot was so good, I savored each sip.  The nose was bursting with dark berry fruit, blackberry, vanilla and cocoa.  The palate was filled with blackberry, black raspberry and a hint of  liqorice.  Excellent structure.

Beringer 2008 Napa Valley Chardonnay - Nose of lime and coconut makes you want to sing the song "Put the lime in the coconut."  A nice taste of  honeydew melon with a long butterscotch finish.

In Search of Rosé

I'm searching for a Rosé this summer that I like, it's my summer mission.  I begin with Celler el Masroig Les Sorts 2009 Rosat.

This Rosé is a blend of 90% Grenache and 10% Carignan. This bold ruby color Rosé had a nose of raspberry, hints of floral and minerals. I did not get much fruit on the taste.  Some hints of watermelon and tart cran raspberry.

This Rose is priced between $10 - $15.  I got it "on sale" at Arlington Wines & Liquors for $9.99 

I continue my search......

A Hudson-Chatham Find - 2006 Merlot

This is one of those wines I found when rummaging through my cellar.  I have no idea when I purchased this wine and it's always a surprise to find botlles like this when you are hunting for something else.

This is a New York State Merlot with 12% alcohol.  The nose was a bit musty, leading way to a cigar box, plum, black cherry and a bit of earth.

The palate was very enjoyable.  Black cherry and black fruit combine together with essence of tobacco lead into a vanilla finish.

I served this wine with Pasta and tomato sauce and it was a great pairing.

Dining with the Vines

Millbrook Vineyard & Winery is hosting "In the Vineyard Summer Dining Series" and begins this summer with Surf and Turf on Saturday, June 25.

The menu for June 25 is created and prepared by Crew Restaurant in Poughkeespie. Your evening will begin at 6:30pm with live jazz music as you enjoy wine and hors d'oeuvres at Millbrook's Water's Edge Pavilion.  You will be sipping on Millbrook's 2010 Tocai Friulano and my favorite, 2010 Unoaked Chardonnay along with their Hunt Country Rosé paired with Chilled Gazpacho Shooters, Bruschetta with Fresh Local Goat Cheese and Herb Marinated Mushrooms and Local Tomato, House-made Mozzarella and Local Basil Skewers. 

At 7:30 the party will move to the vineyard.  Tables will be set among the vines and the wine selections for the evening are Millbrook's best -  2008 Chardonnay Block Two West along with 2007 Cabernet Franc Proprietor's Special Reserve.  You will be dining on

Mixed Local Greens with Roasted Pecan Vinaigrette

Tuscan-style Grilled New York Strip w/ Local Rosemary

Tiger Shrimp & Sea Scallop Kabob

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Corn on the Cob

Dessert:

House-made Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta w/ Fresh Local Berries

Cost for dinner in the Vineyard is $95 per person. Reservations must be made no later than Monday, June 20, 2011.  If you are interested in attending, call the winery at 845.677.8383 extension 17.  Don't forget to tell me how dinner was.

Wine Festivals - What do you expect?

The weather is getting nice and now it's the beginning of the Wine Fesitival Season.  You purchased tickets to a wine festival.  Whether it is a small local festival, regional festival or a large wine expo, what do you expect for the price of admission? What type of vendors do you want to see?

From my standpoint and this is my opinion, if I go to a wine festival, I like to see wineries pouring a variety of their wines.  Sometimes I find at festivals, wines being poured are just a showcase of a wineries lower end products. But what about people looking for something more unique.  A signature wine. While I realize wine festivals might not be the place to showcase wines like this, I do look for something special.  Perhaps the wine staff should be trained in qualifying the taster at hand and have a hidden selection of a few higher quality wines available.  Remember this is your first impression you are giving to many people.  I believe a nice sampling of all varietals and prices should be represented.

Now lets talk food and water, two basic necessities.  While I don't expect food to be included in the price of admission, it would be nice if there was a bottle of water included with that souvenir tasting glass.  Not meant for rinsing, meant for drinking.  Many times at festivals, I can't find a place to purchase a bottle of water.  Restaurants have food, but no soft drinks.  What about the designated driver, they should get a soft drink or water for the price of their admission.  I also like to have some type of variety of food to choose from. There should be some type of ratio out there if you expect a certain number of people there should be a certain number of food vendors. Yes, just like the port-a-potty ratio.  The helpings should be generous tapas serving. I don't like paying $8 for a skewer of 2 shrimp and a piece of zucchini with a tablespoon of rice.  That's not going to cut it for me.

How about non wine vendors. As much as I want to taste every single wine there is, realistically my palate needs a break.  A little palate break at a festival is a good time to look for unique gifts for friends and family. Items I am not going to find at a mall.  Whether it's candles, books, clothing, jewelery or art.  It's always nice to break up the wine tasting with a visit the other vendors and see the crafts they have created.  I might find a pair of earrings for my sister or a print for a girlfriend and guess what, I can cross that name off the Christmas gift list.

What are your thoughts...what do you expect from a wine festival?

The Other Wines in the House

Well it's not really a wine closet but many of us keep wine in all sorts of places.  A closet, a pantry, the garage, the basement, you have to do what works.  In my house we have a 300 bottle cellar, 2 wine jails of 100 bottles and the overflow is on the dining room table.

I am going to take Fridays to share with you the other wines in the house.  These will be short mini reviews, but will give you a look at the other wines in the house that pass our palate.

2008 JC Cellars(California) Misc. Stuff, Red Wine - Blend of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah & Tempranillo.  Nose of berry, plum and pine.  Taste berry with a pepper finish

2008 BlackCap, Eyrie Vineyards Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, OR) Eyrie Vineyards.  Earthy nose giving way to berry and mushroom.  On the palate red raspberry and other red fruit with hints of mushroom and earth.

2008 Angela, Clawson Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir (oregon).  Nose of black raspberry and vanilla.  Palate of bright red raspberry and black berry. Hint of earth.

Dubilner Irish Pub - White Wines of the Hudson Valley

This is an invitation to join me at the Dubliner Irish Pub, 796 Main Street, Poughkeepsie on Monday June 13 as we explore the white wines of the Hudson Valley.  I want to thank Brendan Daly of the Dubliner to being open to Hudson Valley wines for his Monday night seminar series.

Unfortunately I had to limit the wines being tasted to 8.  I did want to include some fruit wines like Brookview Station's Whistle Stop White and some more Hudson Valley hybrids like Adair's Cayuga and Vidal.  Hopefully if all goes well, there will be more Hudson Valley Wine seminars.

On the tasting table Monday night will be:

Milllbrook Vineyards & Winery:   2010 Tocai Friulano and   2010 Unoaked Chardonnay

Clinton Vineyards:   2009 Tribute

Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery:   2010 Awosting White and  2010 Chardonnay Reserve (oaked chard)

Robibero Family Vineyards:  Serendipity

Benmarl Winery: Traminette

Stoutridge Vineyards: Ridge White

We will discuss the wines, the grapes, the blends and the region.  Brendan will prepare from the kitchen a nice tapas plate for each of us.

The cost is $20 and includes the wine and tapas.  For reservations please call the Dubliner at 845.454.7322

Hope to see you there.

Summer Tasting Itineraries - Hudson Valley Wine Country

Benmarl Winery

When I travel to a wine region there are a few things I like to sort out before I travel.  One of course is the wineries I want to visit then is the route I am going to take.

In the Hudson Valley, it's not that simple, wineries aren't door to door like they are in the Finger Lakes or Napa.  You need a plan and a little understanding of the region. 

I would break the region up to  East Side and West Side then North, Middle and South.  I also suggest beginning the day the farthest from where you want to end.  It's always nice to end a day of wine tasting with not to far to drive.

Here are my suggested itineraries for a day of wine tasting in the Hudson Valley.

East Side of the Hudson:

•South to North:  Beginning @ Millbrook Winery travel to Clinton Vineyards, Tousey Winery, Hudson-Chatham Winery, and Brookview Station.

•

West Side of the Hudson

•Northern Route: Begin at Robibero Vineyards and travel to Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery, Adair Vineyards, Glorie Farm Winery, Stoutridge Vineyard and end the day at Benmarl Winery.

 

•Southern Route: Begin at Palaia Vineyards and travel to Brotherhood Winery, Applewood Winery and end the day at Warwick Valley Winery.

 

•Mid Route:  Begin at Brotherhood Winery and

• travel to Baldwin Vineyards, Brimestone Hill Vineyards, Whitecliff Vineyards & Winery and end the day at Robibero Vineyards

•Or – travel to Benmarl Winery, Stoutridge Vineyards, and Glorie Farm Winery.  If you have time end the day at Adair Vineyards.  

East/West Combo

•Begin at Clinton Vineyards and visit Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, then travel across the river to Marlboro and visit Stoutridge Vineyards, Benmarl Winery and if time permits visit Glorie Farm Winery.

 

Remember these are just my suggestions, you may visit any winery in any order, in any direction.

 

 

Loving Unoaked Chardonnay

This is becoming one of my favorite types of Chardonnay this summer.  I am really liking this 2010 Millbrook Vineyards Unoaked Chardonnay, a lot!  This 25th Anniversary wine is 100% New York Chardonnay that was harvested between September 17 and 26 at 22.3 brix.

On the nose I got aromas of pear and cantaloupe melon that were crisp and fresh.  On the palate the hints of melon and citrus gave way to crisp apple and a creamy finish. The wine was nicely balanced.

The wine is $16 and is available in their tasting room.  A great summer wine!

Glorie Farm Winery Introduces a Wine Club

It looks like Glorie Farm Winery just got on the Wine Club bandwagon.  It seems pretty simple and doesn't involve a monthly visit from the UPS man.

Here is how it works.  If you purchase a case of wine (can be a mixed case) with their normal 10% discount and fill out a Wine Club Data form, you are now enrolled.

The next time you purchase any wines from them you will recieve the following discounts:

• 10% off 1-5 bottle purchase
• 15% off 6-11 bottle purchase
• 20% off 12 bottles or more

You will also receive 10% off non wine item and your wine tastings are free for you and up to 5 guests. (But they keep the glass)

There are some perks - you will be offered initial releases, small batch wines, almost sold out wine and library wines.  Refer a friend and they mention your name and you receive a $15 gift certificate.

Membership is good for a year.  You then need to purchase another case of wine to be active again.

Blending Cayuga

A few weeks ago Paul and I were over at Whitecliff Vineyards blending their Cayuga wine.  Cayuga White, which is the proper name of the grape is a hybrid cross between Schuyler and Seyval Blanc. Personally, I haven't met a Cayuga that I liked, but when you are blending wine, you are not blending the wine because you like the grape, you need to blend it for the customer.

On a personal note - this was the first time Paul and I had worked together making a blend.  It was just me and him in the tank room.  We didn't argue, we actually enjoyed working together, I think.

We began by making 150ML bottles of blending Cayuga with tank fermented Chardonnay.  We had our control bottle of Cayuga, then began by adding 10% Chardonnay in 5% increments until it was 50/50.  The two blends that were 85/15 an 80/20 had wonderful bouquets.

After everything was blended we went upstairs to sit with Michael the owner/winemaker. The tastings began.  I liked the 80/20 Paul liked the 70/30.  We weren't satisfied.  So....we went back to the blending table and added Riesling to the mix.  Each 150ML had 10% Riesling.  I liked the blend that was 76.5% Cayuga 13.5 Chard and 10% Riesling.  Or course we never agree - Paul like the blend of 72% Cayuga 18% Chard and 10% Riesling.

But we still weren't happy.  So....we decided to take the Cayuga straight and add residual sugar to it.  We mixed one that was 1.5% 3.6% and 4.4%.  I am not one for sweet wines but with the acidity of the wine you couldn't tell that it was 4.4% RS.

The winning blend was the straight Cayuga with 4.4% RS.  Served cold on a hot summers day, the acidic balance with the RS will make it a very enjoyable wine.  At least I hope.

A few things I learned blending wine:

• Adding vinifera to a hybrid doesn't always make the wine taste better.  
• Adding just a little bit of another variety can change the taste and bouquet dramatically.
• Sometimes balancing out the acid with sugar will make the wine taste better on its own.
• Have a good calculator.